The Summit Fire was a

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

that started on May 22, 2008 in the

Santa Cruz Mountains The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central and Northern California, United States. They form a ridge down the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco. They separate the Pacific Ocean fr ...

, near

Corralitos, California Corralitos (Spanish for "Small pens") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. It is a rural area known for its agriculture of apples and strawberries, and its notable Corralitos Market and Sausage Co. Mo ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. The fire was fully contained on May 27, 2008. No injuries or fatalities occurred, with the exception of twelve firefighters who received minor sprains, cuts and strains. The fire prompted mandatory evacuations of homes in the area. Several elementary, middle, and high schools were closed following the fire.

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

for Santa Cruz County. The cause of the fire was an unattended burn pile . The fire has approached the area to the east which was consumed in October 2002 - the

Croy Fire Croy may refer to: ; Places * in Scotland **Croy, Highland, Scotland ** Croy Hill, The Roman fort on the Antonine Wall, Scotland ** Croy, North Lanarkshire, Scotland *** Croy Line, a railway line linking Glasgow and Croy, North Lanarkshire *** Cro ...

Evacuations

The fire affected Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties. Approximately 1,400 homes were evacuated. Of them 336 were mandatory. More than 2900 firefighters fought the fire. Residents were ordered to evacuate the area shortly before 3 PM. The fire also affected Maymens Flat, a tiny community of fewer than ten homes.

Response

was declared by Arnold Schwarzenegger. He excused himself during a meeting with presidential candidate John McCain to comment on the fire.

References

{{2008 California wildfires 2008 California wildfires Evacuations Wildfires in Santa Cruz County, California May 2008 events in the United States